First Loves and New Loves and, You Know, Grading

Well, I'm back. Sort of. I mean, I never really left -- my husband did, for storm work in Florida, and it sent me into a kind of only-the-essentials mode, so blogging was low on my list of priorities. 

I've been trying to keep up with reading and writing in addition to my school duties, but all three took a hit during the month of September. I probably read the most -- it was easier to do when sitting in a car waiting for my daughter to emerge from soccer practice or at night when I was attempting to exercise my dog (he will only give me the ball and let me throw it if I pretend to ignore him -- if I ask for it or even demand it there's no way in hell he's giving it to me. We have an odd working relationship.)

I've just finished Louise Glück's Faithful and Virtuous Night. I love returning to her voice -- I haven't read her work in years -- but I have to say that my heart still rests with The Wild Iris, which I love with that weird inclination I have for all of my "introductions" to artists' work. For instance, most people will argue that Doolittle is the best of the Pixies' albums, but I still have this loyalty and affection for Bossanova, which I listened to by way of this pseudo/suburban punk friend during high school. It's screamy and weird and the songs don't have the same single-making quality as "Where Is My Mind?", but hearing their songs for the first time was one of those aesthetic-changing moments, and I listened to those songs so many times, so Bossanova is kind of it for me.

Speaking of good albums -- get thee to your iTunes and download Willie Watson's Folksinger Vol. 2. It's gorgeous.

Mr. Willie Brown, our new Bearded Dragon friend

I'm still reading Marina Abramovic's Walk Through Walls (her (co-written) memoir) and J. Marc Harding's Drowning in Sand, too. Like I said, everything kind of took a hit during September. My reading pace should in no way be taken as a gauge for any book's worth -- I suspect I'm a slow reader anyway, without the added pressure of absentee husband and back-to-school nights and birthday-lizard buying. (That's right -- our household now has a reptile to add to our list of circus acts. The Boy is over the moon.)

I've been working on one longish poem for the past month, too, but sporadically, so lord knows if it will feel cohesive and organic by the time it's done. And besides returning to the blog writing, I'm going to spend today working on a paper for an academic conference I'll be attending at the end of October -- in glamorous Columbus, Ohio! (Honestly, any place is probably more glamorous than Long Island, so that's not really as sarcastic as it sounds.) 

Speaking of leaving Long Island, (TWICE IN ONE MONTH IT'S ALMOST LIKE CHRISTMAS), I will finally become my nephew's godmother (it's been an epic, strange process) when I travel to Virginia next weekend. It's going to be a whirlwind trip, but it will be good to see my family again.

 

It doesn't portend good things for my grading, however. I am knee-deep in assignments and collecting first papers, natch, and I'm already behind in giving student work back, so this is more or less a normal semester.

*Le Sigh*